Dengue cases exceed 25,000; highest ever recorded in Nepal


As of Monday, 27 September, Nepal has recorded more than 25,000 cases of dengue, according to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD).

The dengue cases in 2022 are the highest in any year, exceeding the previous highest number of dengue cases in 2019 which was 17,992 in the total year.

EDCD under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), has also informed that 32 people have died of dengue till Monday.

As per the published data, 25,543 cases of dengue have been reported from across Nepal with Bagmati Province reporting the highest number of dengue cases at 19,910.

The Kathmandu Valley has become the hotspot for dengue outbreaks with 8,896 cases of dengue in Kathmandu and 6,035 in Lalitpur.

Dengue cases have been recorded in 76 of 77 districts throughout the nation. Dengue is also called ‘break-bone fever’ and the patients show the symptoms three to seven days after the bites of mosquitoes– Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

“A preliminary report of the study carried out by the EDCD in the Kathmandu Valley shows that high density of dengue-spreading mosquitoes has been found in the valley,” according to Dr Gokarna Dahal, chief of Vector Control Section at the EDCD.

Experts have warned the ongoing spread of dengue virus could continue till November and have suggested conducting ‘search and destroy’ drive regularly to reduce the mosquito breeding sites to contain the spread of dengue infection.